Improvement in amalgamators



E. P. RUSSELL; Amalgamat-or;

No. 205,215. Patented June 25,1878.

Q flnv entnr. algimesses. 0 5

NVPETERS, PHOTO-UTHOGRAPHQK, WBHINGTON. D. (2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEFIoE.

LI EnUssELnoF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

- IMPROVEMENT l N ZAMALGAMATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 205,215, dated June 25,1878; application filed May 3, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELI F. RUssELL, of the city and county of SanFrancisco, State of California, have invented an Improved Amalgamator;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to certain drawin gsaccompanying this specification and forming a part of the same.

My invention has reference to an improved apparatus for separating theparticles of gold which are contained in auriferous earth, sand, gravel,or. pulp from the worthless portion, and bringing the gold particles incontact either with mercury or amalgamated surfaces, so that they willbecome amalgamated and retained, while the worthless portion or tailings are carried away. 7

My apparatus can be adapted, by a few simple changes, to serve either asa wet or dry amalgamator, and is intended more especially as a portablemining-machine, which can be used in any locality where auriferousmaterial is found, whether water can be conveniently obtained or not.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinalsection. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan.

Let A represent a box or sluice of any desired length, width, and depth.Usually I shall make'it from ten to fifteen feet long, about three feetwide, and from twelve to eighteen inches deep, although much will dependon the character of the material to be worked and the desired capacityof the machine. To increase its capacity, I prefer to increase its widthrather than its'length, in order to prevent it from becoming cumbersome.'This box or sluice has on each side an arm, I), projecting at rightangles from it near its upper end, and another, 0, on each side, nearits lower end. These arms rest upon pulleys or rollers 01 (l, which aresoarranged that the box or sluice will stand at an angle or inclination,as represented. These pulleys or rollers can be raised or lowered, so asto change the angle or inclination of the box or sluice to any desiredgrade. In the present instance I have represented each of the pulleys orrollers mounted in the upper end of a screw-post, f, which screws intothe upper end of a standrollers can be used.

The entire interior of the box, bottom, sides, and top, (if a cover isused,) 1 line with copper. The bottom I form into two or more inclinedsteps or shelves, I I. The lower end of each shelf overhangs the upperend of the shelf below, so that the material will fall from one to theother in its descent. I

Near the middle of each inclined shelf I make one or more (usually two)angular or V- shaped depressions, an, which extend entirely across thebottom of the box or sluice. The upper side of each of these depressionsis nearly vertical, while the lower side extends forward at an angle, sothat any heavy particles that may be caught in it will settle back intothe angle or deepest part, instead of moving forward over its frontedge. Directly in front of these an gular depressions on each shelf Imake a transverse depression, 0, for containing quicksilver. To pack theendsof these corrugations or depressions Where they fit against thesides of the sluice or box, I use a sheet or strip of india-rubber, 19,against which the edges of the corrugated metal strip presses, thusmaking a tight joint and preventing leakage or waste.

When water is used as a vehicle for moving the earth, sand, gravel, orpulp, I suspend a quicksilver-trough, Q, under the overhanging loweredge of each shelf. The shape of this trough, itwill be noticed, ispeculiar. It has a central depression, 1', and a shelf or ledge, 8,; oneach side, al1 formed out of one sheetpof metal, and it has acopper-wire grating, t, placed in it, so as to rest upon the shelves orledges. This construction is important, because it gives anamalgam-space in the depression and prevents the quicksilver from beingoverflowed, the ledges serving to catch and retain any particles thatmay attempt to escape. A

When the dry method is used, I substitute hanging amalgamated platesUfor these quicksilver-troughs, as hereinafter specified.

The upper end of the box or sluice has a grate, V, and hopper W securedabove it, and

a turn-out spout or chute, X, for carrying away the large particles thatcannot pass through the grate.

J is a shaft, which is supported in bearings in uprights parallel withthe sluice or box. This shaft has one or more cranks, K, formed on it,which are connected, by pitmen L, with the box or sluice. The shaft isdriven by a toothed wheel, M, pinion N, and crank P, so that the box orsluice is given a brisk backand-forth side motion.

The entire copper-lined interior of the box or sluice having beenamalgamated and mercury placed in the troughs Q and depressions O, theauriferous material is dumped upon the grate in the hopper, and thetrough set in motion. The quick, short lateral vibrations cause thefiner particles to sift through the grate and travel down the inclinedshelves, while the larger pieces pass through the chute X, and falloutside of the machine. The finer particles. are carried by the waterdown the inclined shelves, over the angular depressions n n andquicksilver-channels 0, where the particles of gold that get to thebottom are caught. The balance passes down and is precipitated over theoverhanging edge into the suspended quicksilver trough Q, where otherparticles are caught, and so on down the incline until the goldparticles are all arrested and saved. The quick side motion causes theparticles to travel in a zigzag course down the incline and over theamalgamated surface, so that they are rolled over and rubbed against thesurface, thus insuring their contact and amalgamation.

In the riser of the upper inclined shelf I make an opening, It, which Ikeep closed when the machine is being operated by the wet method; butwhen it is to be operated by the dry method, I open it and insert thenozzle from a blower, which is driven by the same power that drives themachine. The blower and nozzle are connected by a flexible pipe, whichyields to the motion of the trough. I also remove the quicksilver-troughQ and suspend the curved amalgamated plates U across above theoverhanging lower ends of the shelves. The dry particles will then becaught by the blast from the nozzle as they drop from the upperoverhanging shelf and be dissipated or blown forward in a thin showeragainst the amalgamated surfaces, and be deflected downward by thesuspended plates U, so that amalgamated surfaces, and amalgamationinsured.

When water is used, the cover of the box can be dispensed with; but inoperating on the material by the dry method, it is absolutely necessarythat the top should be kept closed. 7 This machine is light, portable,and easily operated. It enables the miner to work auriferous depositswhether water is convenient or not, and is arranged to secure the bestresults for saving the particles of gold.

Havin g described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-- 1. The copper-lined box or trough A, having thearms I) 0, supported on rollers d d. and having the grate V, hopper W,and chute X at its upper end, in combination with the crankshaft J,pitman L, toothed wheel M, pinion N, and crank P, substantially as andfor the purpose above described. 2. The copper-lined box A, mounted uporollers d. d, and having its bottom formed into inclined steps orshelves I I, the lower end of each shelf overhanging the upper end ofthe riser, in combination with the amalgamated 7 plates U, which aresuspended across the box at the lower end of each shelf, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

5. The inclined copper-lined laterally-shaking box A, provided with thesteps or shelves I I, and having the opening'R in the upper riser, incombination with the blower and elastic or flexible tube, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

ELI r. RUSSELL. [L. s.]

Witnesses I. F. LITTLEFIELD, J. V. DEVRY.

